Delivery manifold for tank vehicles



April 27, 1937.

J. A. JEFFERSON DELIVERY MANIFOLD FOR TANK VEHICLES 3 Sheets-Sheet l` j .mE

Original Filed July l0, 1934 J. A. JEFFERSON 2,078,384

DELIVERY MANIFOLD FOR TANK VEHICLES i April 27, 1937.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed July l0, 1934 @DE if IVD/E 425:@

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DELIVERY MANIFOLD FOR TANK VEHICLES original `Filed July 1o, 1954 s sheets-sheet :s

Patented Apr. 271, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE DELIVERY MANIFOLD FOR TANK VEHICLES John Andrew Jefferson, Belmont, Mass.

3 Claims. (Cl. 137-21) My invention relates to tank vehicles and particularly to tank trucks such as are used in transporting and dispensing kerosene, gasolene and other oils, the object of the invention being to provide an improved vehicle of the class indicated.

Vehicles of the class referred to include motorpropelled tank trucks such as are in common use at the present time, each of which is constructed with a body consisting of an elongate horizontal longitudinally disposed sheet metal tank that is interiorly divided into a plurality of liquid-holding compartments by a number of transversely arranged partitions, said compartments being employed to hold different kinds of oils. Each of these lcompartments is provided at its bottom with an outlet with which is connected a separate delivery pipe conduit extending longitudinally to the rear end of the vehicle. At the rear end of the vehicle the several delivery conduits are commonly provided with a normally closed drawoff faucet from which metered deliveries may be made by gravity.

Heretofore, tank Vtrucks of this kind have been constructed with an independent stop valve tting or unit in each delivery conduit between the compartment thereof and the manifold and with an independent gravity-controlled or flow-controlled check valve fitting or unit in each delivery conduit between said compartment and said stop valve unit. Consequently, the construction was comparatively complicated and expensive and involved an objectionably large number of joints which it was necessary to make and maintain tight against leakage.

' 'I'he main object of my invention is to improve the construction of the manifolds of tank trucks of this type.

To this end I have provided improved liquid dispensing apparatus for embodiment in trucks of the class described, said apparatus having the peculiar features of construction and operation set forth in the following description, the several novel features of the invention being separately pointed out and defined in the claims at the close thereof.

In the accompanying drawings:-

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the tank of a truck constructed in accordance with my lne55 vention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan View of my new combination check and stop valve fitting.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4--4 of Fig. 5.

Figure 5 is a rear elevation of an end portion of the manifold hereinafter described.

The illustrated embodiment of my invention comprises the sheet metal tank body Ill of a vehicle of the class above referred to, said tank body being mounted as usual upon a channel iron frame I I which, in turn, may be mounted as usual upon springs, not shown, carried by the chassis of the vehicle. 'I'he vehicle may be motorpropelled as usual.`

The tank body I0 is made with a front end wall I2, a rear end wall I3, and several intermediate transverse partition walls I4 which divide the interior thereof into three oil-holding compartments I, 2 and 3 and a storage compartment 4 for holding the usual measuring cans, not shown. The top of each compartment I, 2 and 3 is constructed, as usual, with a dome provided with a removable cover or yclosure I5 while the rear wall I3 is made, as usual, with a doorway provided with a door I6 affording access to the measuring cans, not shown, Within compartment 4.

Each compartment I, 2 and 3 is made at its bottom with an outlet I1., the outlet II of compartment I being connected with a transversely disposed manifold I8 at the rear end of the vehicle by a delivery pipe conduit la; the outlet I'I of compartment 2 being connected with said manifold by a pipe conduit 2a, and the outlet I1 of .compartment 3 being connected with said manifold by a pipe conduit 3a.

The manifold I8, as herein constructed, comprises three combination check-and-stop valve fittings Ib, 2b and 3b disposed in spaced apart relationship and connected by two pipe sections I 8a. The valve fitting 3U adjacent to one side of the vehicle also has connected with it one end of an off-take pipe conduit I 9 whose opposite end is .connected with the inlet of the usual moto-rdriven pump 20, while the valve fitting 2b adjacent to the oppositeside of the vehicle is connected by a pipe section |811 with a draw-off faucet 2I from which delivery may be made directly into a measuring can, or through the usual metering hose, not shown, that is attachable to the outlet of said faucet.

The three combination check-and-stop valve units Ib, 2b and 3bare all of like construction and each comprises a hollow cross pipe fitting body 2 2, Figs. 3, 4 and 5, whose interior provides a central valve chamber 23 Within Which is ar ranged a check and stop valve element 24 adapted to close against a seat 25 surrounding an inlet port 26. This port 26 extends through an exteriorly threaded nipple 21 that is part of the valve body 22.

The outer end portion of nipple 21 is interiorly formed with a parti-spherical concaved seat 28 for a complemental parti-spherical convex end portion 30 provided upon the exterior or" a coupling nipple 3|. The nipple extension 21 of the valve body 22 is exteriorly threaded to receive upon it an interiorly threaded ring coupling member 32 which, together with the two nipples 21 and 3| provide aY union by means of which the valve fitting is connected with one end of its delivery pipe conduit. f

The nipple 3| is interiorly threaded at one end thereof to receive the exteriorly threaded end portion of the delivery pipe conduit, and exteriorly formed with an annular radial shoulder 33 to abut a complemental shoulder provided upon the interior of ring member 32 whereby the latter clamps the end of nipple 3| against the seat 28 on body 22.

The valve 24 is constructed with a circular cup-like body Within which is an annulus 34 made from a non-metallic composition, said annulus being provided for engagement with the seat 25 on body 22. This annulus 34 is securely clamped within the cup-shaped body of the check valve by means of a washer 35 and nut 36, the latter being mounted upon a threaded stem 31 projecting from the front side .or face of said body.

Projecting from the opposite rear side or face of the cup-shaped body of the valve 24 is another stem 33 provided at its upper end with a iianged head 39 having a convex topside for engagement with the inner end of an adjustable valve-locking member 4|).

Between the head 39 and the cup-like body of the valve 24 the stem 38 has loosely mounted thereon one end of a valve-supporting arm 4|, said end being formed with an aperture through which the stem 38 extends loosely so that the valve 24 can rock universally to a limited extent relatively to arm 4| and t itself tothe seat 25.

lIhe opposite end of arm 4| is pivotally connected with the fitting body 22 by means of a pintle 42 so that when locking member 4|) is disengaged from head 39 the check valve 24 is free to swing toward and from seat 25.

At the opposite sides of the valve chamber 23 the tting body 22 is made with interiorly threaded ports 43 each adapted to receive Within it the exteriorly threaded end of one of the pipe sections |80. and |8b of the manifold, the axes of said ports being relatively alined perpendicularly with respect to the axis of port 26 and off-set downwardly relatively thereto so that the flow of oil from one of said pipe sections through chamber 23 to the other pipe section is not impeded by valve 24.

Upon the side of chamber 23 opposite the port 26 the tting body 22 is made with a circular interiorly threaded port or aperture 44v into which is screwed the exteriorly threaded skirt of a cap 45 having a centrally disposed hole 46 extending therethrough within which the locking member is rotatably mounted. The locking member 4B is herein shown as a spindle having an intermediate threaded portion 41` in engagement with the interiorly threaded inner end portion of the hole 46 so that when the locking member is rotated in one direction its inner end may be forced against the head 39 of the valve 24 thereby to lock the latter in its closed position, and when rotated in the opposite direction its inner end may be retracted sufliciently to permit the check valve to open and close.

Locking member 4|! is manually operated and therefore is provided at its outer end with a hand Wheel 48.

Leakage of oil from chamber 23 through the hole 43 is prevented by a stuing box 49 provided at the outer end of said hole.

It will be clear from the above description that the valves 24 of the delivery pipe conduits la, 2av and 3a. will function at times as check valves to prevent oil from flowing from one compartment through the manifold into another compartment so that it is impossible for a dishonest operator to deliver short measure to a customer, or for the different oils to be mixed.

In making a delivery the operator unscrews the locking member 4|! of the compartment from which it is desired to make the delivery and then when pump 2|] is set in .operation the oil is moved from said compartment through the oitake conduit I9 and pump 2t to the customers receiving vessel or container. Or if the delivery is to be made through the usual metering hose, not shown, then the latter is attached to the faucet 2| and when the locking member 4|) of the compartment from which the delivery is to be made is retracted the oil will ow from that compartment through the delivery pipe conduit thereof into manifold I8 and thence through faucet 2| and the metering hose into the customers receiving vessel by gravity. As shown in Fig. 5, the faucet 2| may be provided with a valve 5U operable to open and close said faucet and of course, while making a' delivery through the metering hose, this valve 50 occupies its open position.

The valve 24 closes by gravity toward its seat 25 and in combination with the locking member 40 also serves the purpose .of a stop or shut-off valve which can be positively locked in its normally closed position by means of said locking member 40. In this way the valve 24 serves a double purpose.

From the above description it will be clear that my invention provides a delivery manifold of simple and eiiicient construction wherein all of the parts of the multiple valve mechanism except the handle portions of the spindles 40 are housed Within the manifold itself and that said valve mechanism serves the double purpose of a check valve and a stop or shut-off valve. It is also an advantage of the above construction that the number of pipe ttings and joints required is reduced to a minimum and this is an important feature in a vehicle of this class which is subjected to shocks and vibrations as it travels over the roadway.

'I'he improvements herein described and claimed have been divided from my co-pending.

livery conduits each having its inlet end connected with one of said outlets; a manifold consisting of a straight elongate tubular structure extending transversely with respect to said row of compartments and disposed adjacent to the rear end thereof, said manifold having a plurality of inl-et ports upon its inner side with each of which is connected the opposite delivery end of one of said delivery conduits; a separate check-and-stop valve member for controlling each inlet port adjustably mounted within said manifold and closing toward its inlet port, and a plurality of manually operable stems each associated with one of said check valves, said stems extending outwardly through and having threaded engagement with a wall of said manifold so that their inner ends are adapted for abutting engagement with their respective check valves to lock the latter on their seats, and the outer ends of all of said stems being accessible to an operator standing upon the ground back of the vehicle.

2. In a vehicle of the character described the combination with the tank body constructed interiorly with a plurality of independent co-mpartments disposed side by side in a longitudinal row and on one level and each having an outlet at its bottom, of a plurality of independent delivery conduits each having its inlet end connected with one of said outlets; a straight manifold consisting of a straight elongate tubular structure extending transversely with respect to said row of compartments and disposed adjacent to the rear end thereof, said manifold having a plurality of inlet ports upon its inner side with each of which is connected the opposite delivery end of one of said delivery conduits; a separate check-and-stop valve member for controlling each inlet port adjustably mounted within said manifold and off-set with respect to the axis thereof so as to provide an unobstructed passageway through the manifold when said valve member occupies either its open or its closed position, said valve closing toward its inlet port, and a plurality of manually operable stems each associated with one of said check Valves, said stems extending rearwardly through and having threaded engagement with a wall of said manifold so that their inner ends are adapted for abutting engagement with their respective check valves to lock the latter on their seats, and the outer ends of all .of said stems being accessible to an operator standing upon the ground back of the vehicle. s

3. In a vehicle of the character described, the combination with the tank body constructed interiorly with a plurality of independent compartments disposed side by side in a longitudinal row and on one level and each having an outlet at its bottom and a plurality of independent delivery conduits each having its inlet end connected with one of said outlets, of a delivery manifold consisting of a plurality .of valve units and a plurality of pipe sections and extending transversely with respect to said row o-f cornpartments adjacent to the rear end thereof, each valve unit comprising a cross body formed with a valve chamber having an inlet port connected with the delivery end .of one of said delivery conduits and two side ports and with a valve seat within said chamber surrounding the inner end of said inlet port, and said side ports being relatively alined at opposite sides of and perpendicularly with respect to the axis of said inlet ports and also offset laterally relatively to thelatterso as to provide between them a straight unobstructed passageway through said chamber, means on said body for connecting a separate one of said pipe connections with each of said side ports, a check valve within said chamber cooperatively associated with said seat so that it is disposed outside of said passageway when occupying its closed position and also when occupying its open position, means within said chamber but outside of said passageway through which said check valve is pivotally supported by said body so as to swing bodily on an axis alongside of and parallel with said passageway thereby to control said inlet port, and a manually operable abutment spindle extending into said chamber through a hole formed in a wall of the latter .opposite v said inlet port and having threaded engagement with said wall so that when rotated it is moved endwise toward and from said check valve to occupy a position where it locks said check valve closed and also another retracted position where said check valve is free to swing toward and from said seat,

JOHN ANDREW JEFFERSON. 

